John Pope
John Pope is a major character in the first, second, third, fourth and fifth season. John is a former felon and chef who became the leader of Pope's Gang after the invasion. John became a prisoner of the 2nd Massachusetts Militia Regiment after holding Tom Mason's squad hostage and attempting to ransom them for a .50 cal machine gun. While imprisoned, John was installed as the official chef of the 2nd Massachusetts. He invented small arms ammunition capable of destroying Mechs after Commander Porter reluctantly agreed to take him on as a munitions consultant. In "Homecoming", Anthony and Pope were found lying in a ditch after a mech attack. After Dr. Glass patched up his wounds, Pope warned Tom of a mech attack, and has stayed with the 2nd Mass since then. A bitter and cynical individual to all who know him, despite being untrustworthy Pope has given vital assistance to the 2nd Mass on many occasions at his own risk, and despite being extremely disliked by most he has firm loyalty from his gang of Berserkers. In season 4, Pope begins a relationship with Sara. Pre-Invasion California John Pope, along with his brother Billy Pope, were felons prior to the attacks. At some point before the war he went to Disneyland with his family and somehow ended up in a fist fight with Goofy, causing him to be banned from the park for life. At one point Pope stole a motorbike from a nearby store, not because he needed it but only to impress a lady, and it worked. 5 years before the invasion Pope and his son Brandon were working on a mini-bike, when Brandon went for a test run in the street he was almost run over by another man. As this man had done this before, John took Brandon and went to talk with the man. John and the man turned violent and Pope hit the man. Pope accidentally killed him and was sent to Compton Correctional for manslaughter. While in jail he became a certified chef, once cooking Thanksgiving dinner for three cell blocks, and learned about explosives. He had an ex-wife and two children, a boy and girl. They were last in Florida, where he would visit them on occasion. Story Description John Pope, the leader of a band of marauders, introduces himself to the 2nd Mass by taking a group of hostages and offering to exchange their freedom for weapons. For reasons known only to him, this smart, resourceful and charismatic ex-con takes great pleasure in killing Skitters, even hunting them like wild game. A shameless opportunist, Pope considers the invasion the best thing that ever happened to him. Despite all his questionable motives, Pope remains a powerful member of the 2nd Mass. Post-Invasion John Pope started a gang which hunted down skitters. The gang consisted of less intellectual people like his brother Billy Pope and Cueball. Pope learned how to successful kill a skitter during an encounter with one, by taking out its legs then going for its head. |-| Season 1= "The Armory" John was eager to take advantage of the power vacuum afforded by the Invasion of Earth. With the help of his brother, he recruited a faction of opportunistic criminals including Margaret and Cueball. Under John's leadership, the gang set about obtaining weapons from resistance fighters through murder and kidnapping, culminating in their ambush and capture of Tom Mason's squad in the Acton Armory. While holding Tom and his team hostage, he revealed that he has two children - a boy and a girl - both in Florida with their mother. As Pope's Gang made it's last stand against the 2nd Mass, Tom Mason, recognizing Pope's potential, offered him an ultimatum - "Join or die" - an allusion to Benjamin Franklin. Pope refused, but was captured alive by Weaver when an attack by airships ended the firefight. "Prisoner of War" While a prisoner, John became the official chef of the 2nd Mass. He was kept under guard at all times. He took offense at distaste for his meals, which were generally well-regarded. "Grace" John informed Captain Weaver about a motorcycle shop near Somerville. Weaver instructed Tom Mason and his squad to take Pope and secure the motorcycles. As the squad raided the shop, Pope said that he once stole a motorcycle to impress a girl, which worked. After knocking Dai unconscious, Pope escaped with a motorcycle, a canister of gasoline, and several grenades. He killed a sleeping band of Skitters and then left for parts unknown. "Sanctuary (Part 1)" Pope became a prisoner of Terry Clayton after he attempted to steal from the 7th Massachusetts Militia Regiment, a splinter faction collaborating with the Skitters. In exchange for his life, John provided Clayton with intelligence about the 2nd Mass. Clayton, however, ordered Mr. Greene to kill him anyway. "Sanctuary (Part 2)" Pope disabled Greene and, after a visible internal struggle, chose to spare his life. As a violent conflict erupted between the 2nd and 7th regiments, Pope fired on members of the 7th Mass with Greene's rifle, saving the life of Hal Mason and earning Tom Mason's respect. Pope was shot in the leg during the battle and subsequently treated by Anne Glass. "What Hides Beneath" Tom Mason re-paid Pope by vouching for his character to Commander Porter, who recruited Pope as a munitions consultant for the resistance. Pope quickly impressed a crowd of 2nd Mass fighters when he designed ammunition capable of easily destroying Mechs. He also seems to form a peculiar bond with Matt Mason showing care for him and telling him to listen to his father so that there would be no chance to end up like him. He also takes Matt's idea to use Mech ammunition against them which plays a big part in the final assault against the Skitters. "Mutiny" No longer under guard, Pope was granted authority over the 2nd Mass' munitions factory. While managing the factory, John came to respect Weaver's determination. He sided with Weaver against Tom's mutiny, citing the former's willingness to fight the Skitters at any cost. He later volunteers to attack the Boston Tower. "Eight Hours" Pope participated in the attack on the mothership, during which he saved Anthony's life. As Tom joined the battle, Pope gave him an RPG with a modified mech-metal rocket, which Tom used to destroy an airship, causing significant damage to the Mothership. |-| Season 2= "Worlds Apart" Pope goes on the mission to take out the group of mechs and skitters. He later goes on a second mission to take out a new group of mechs and skitters, however they are targeted by a beamer which destroys their vehicles. Pope filled with anger, shoots at the beamer as it destroys it's Harley, however is pulled away from Lyle. Pope later asks Weaver how Tom made it back to the 2nd Mass alive. "Shall We Gather at the River" Pope stood by his decision. He was already very suspicious of Tom even with the probe removed and thus had no problem blowing the bridge with him still on it. Pope halfheartedly tried to comfort Hal, stating that he did what needed to be done. Hal, visibly devastated by his fathers apparent death attacked Pope but the fight was broken up quickly soon as the presumed dead Tom emerged from the water, virtually unscathed. "Compass" Pope and his Beserkers kidnap Tom Mason. Pope states that Tom is a danger to everyone around him and tells him to walk away from the 2nd Mass. As Pope tells Tom to start walking, a warning shot is fired by Jimmy Boland. In the confusion, Ben sneaks up on Pope and puts a knife to his neck. Ben states that Jimmy won't miss again, and the Beserkers back off. While Weaver contemplates a punishment for the Beserkers, Tom states that the best thing to do is to keep them around. Tom then requests to join the Beserkers, so that he could keep an eye on Pope. Shortly after Jimmy's death, his compass that Ben was holding on to went missing. Tom discovered that Pope had the compass and wasn't planning on giving it back because Jimmy doesn't need it anymore. Tom demands he give him the compass, but Pope refuses again and insults Ben. Tom and Pope get into a fight shortly after and Tom was the victor. Tom had to be pulled off of Pope by Lyle because Tom wouldn't stop hitting him. After the altercation, Pope angrily stated to Weaver that Tom disobeyed a direct order and should be reprimanded but Weaver, mourning the loss of Jimmy, takes Tom's side. In response to this Pope decides to leave the 2nd Mass. Anthony decides to go with him to keep an eye on him. "Homecoming" At some point he and Anthony were in Durham, North Carolina looking for some vehicles, they had split up, Pope was attacked by Skitters and eventually surrounded by them. When he was approached by an Overlord, accompanied by Karen Nadler, they questioned Pope about Ben Mason and the location of the 2nd Mass. Eventually he and Anthony came under attack by Mechs, when Pope was knocked unconscious by a Mech blast and Anthony carried him as far as he could. Sometime later, he and Anthony were discovered by Lyle about 10 miles from the hospital. He later regained consciousness and informed Tom and the others of Karen's continued involvement with the "Fishheads". "Molon Labe" Pope defends the hospital against the Espheni forces. He witnesses Boon being gunned down on Karen Nadler's order as a warning, and later retreats from the hospital when they use an Espheni Overlord as leverage. "Death March" En route to Charleston, South Carolina Pope volunteered to scout ahead with Hal and Maggie, he spent most of the trip in the bed of the truck getting drunk. He recalled his trips down to Florida to visit his children to help guide Hal and Maggie on the road. When the truck broke down, Hal went to get water, during his absence Pope discussed with Maggie how she would eventually have to share her past with Hal. When he and the others were nearing Charleston, they were eventually taken in by the 1st Continental Army, reuniting with the 2nd Mass later. "The Price of Greatness" Soon after arriving he resumed his role commanding the Berserkers and quickly shared his dislike of Charleston telling Lyle he wouldn't stay longer then necessary. He eventually made an attempt to steal from the armory with Lyle and Crazy Lee, but Maggie stopped them and attempted to get them to stop. However Sergeant Clemons and Tector arrived and assuming Maggie was part of it arrested them, not before Tector shot Lyle in the arm for attempting to escape. "A More Perfect Union" Arthur Manchester in an attempt to blackmail Tom Mason, attempted to convince Pope to help him, Pope enthusiastically refused saying if anyone was going to take down Tom it would be him. During the military's coup he told Bressler he would "wish you (Bressler) into a cornfield." He later took part in the attack on the Unidentified Overlord Cannon, forgiving Tector for joining the 1st. The group was ambushed shortly after arrival but were rescued by the Skitter Rebellion, which allowed them to destroy the cannon. Later, Pope witnessed the arrival of the Volm. |-| Season 3= "On Thin Ice" TBA "Collateral Damage" TBA "Badlands" TBA "At All Costs" TBA "Search and Recover" TBA "Be Silent and Come Out" TBA "The Pickett Line" TBA "Strange Brew" TBA "Journey to Xilbalba" A week later while he and Lyle were in his bus, Lyle noticed, the boat Tom was on and told Pope he needed to see it. Thinking he was referring to the Grid, he said he’d seen it already. Pope sarcastically said the Espheni have an extraordinary visual palette, Lyle told him they had a visitor. They went to go check it out to find Tom getting out of the boat. Pope was surprised to see him, thinking he was dead. Pope reminded him he still owed him a plane, Tom said he could have the boat. Tom went to see him later, he told Pope he wanted to talk to him, Pope asked Lyle to stay, but Tom wanted to talk alone. Pope agreed and asked Lyle to leave. Tom asked Pope why he didn’t shot him why he first arrived, saying no one would have known. Pope said Lyle would have but that he got his point. Tom asked Pope if he was worried about Karen putting a bug in him. Pope was actually counting on it, and that if Tom did start behaving like he was implanted he would have to be put down, Pope hoped it would be him, and Tom thanked him. They were just about ending their conversation when they were thrown backwards by an explosion. They went to the river near the Volm complex; both suspected it was the mole. Tom noticed two Volm, one of them was Cochise, Pope believed he must’ve pulled the other from the water. He and Tom then carried Cochise to the hospital. Later after the bomb went off, Weaver saw Pope’s team working on clearing debris, and called him out on it. Pope said they needed to get the cannon dug out to take out the Grid. Pope assured Weaver Jeanne was among the survivors and that they were 20-30 feet above the north stairs and that it was a straight shot down. "Brazil" TBA |-| Season 4= "Ghost in the Machine" 22 days after travelling back to Charleston and safety, the 2nd Mass is finally near home. However, things are not so simple as the Espheni attack. As the Espheni is dropping large obelisks that create a grid that keeps everyone grouped together on the 2nd Mass forces. Pope scatters with the rest of the 2nd Mass, and fights off the Mechs, and survives as Tom kills the Mechs with the Volm weapon. At some point during the four months that the 2nd Mass were separated, Pope was captured and placed in a ghetto camp, and blames it on Tom saying that he got us in this mess. When the food drop happens, a few men hold of the residents of the ghetto camp who are trying to gather food, while Pope hordes it all. Hal and Tector call him out on it and says to Tector "Some friend you turned out to be". When Tom rides his motorcycle through the camp to where the food is, he points a barrel of his flamethrower at Pope, forcing him to give the food to the others. Tector and Hal walk into Pope's apartment, where he is watching on his TV Giligan's Islands, powered up by the generator that Hal and Tector need. Hal walks in and asks if he is trading in information for luxury, but Pope denies it saying he knows how prison works, then tells them to get the hell out. When Tector asks him to borrow the gene, Pope refuses and goes to sit back down, but Hal unplugs the generator turning off the TV, and Pope runs after him. Outside, when Pope tries to take it back, Hal punches him and they engage in a fight, which Pope comes up on the receiving end and takes back the generator and walks back inside his place. "The Eye" Weaver follows Pope to a location to take his secret stash of food, but is interrupted by Alex and his gang. He fights them off, and nearly chokes one of them to death. Pope tells Weaver that all he has in his stash is a few cans of beans, and that he lied because he has a reputation to keep. As he plans to fight Pope, he hears a noise, that turns out to be the laser wall, giving them a better plan to escape with everyone. "Exodus" Pope listens to Tom's speech to escape the ghetto. During the plan, skitters accidentally knock loose a beam that cripples Dingaan’s hand, forcing Pope to be the one to put on the Faraday suit and scale the fence. Pope drops the bomb on his way up the fence obelisk, but surprises everyone by going back for it, rather than escaping to freedom. Scaling the fence once again, Pope wears out the suit and accidentally falls to the ground on the other side, knocking himself temporarily unconscious. Finally, Pope awakens and plants the bomb, but is forced to sever the tether himself after the weakened blast, finally bringing down the fence. Later, Pope is thanked by Tom for his efforts on scaling the wall. "Evolve or Die" Pope decides to go off on his to search for fuel. Pope drives to a house where he discovers gas, and tries to steal it, but Sara, the owner, holds him at gunpoint with a shotgun. Pope and Sara go inside, share a beer, and Mechs find them. Pope leads them to safety, and drives back to the shelter, where Hal tells him off for running off alone, and Sara rushes to Pope's defense. Hal tells Pope the Volm discovered that the Espheni will be on the place within 24 hours "Mind Wars" Pope and Dingaan scout some of the routes for a way to Chinatown. Dingaan and Pope are spotted by Mechs and barley made it out alive. They reach Hal, and tells him which route on the map they cannot take, and Dingaan mentions that they are trapped and it's only a matter of time. After Shaq informs them that they need a power source to track the Espheni movement, as they cannot use there own recon drones, Hal creates a plan to capture a Mega-Mech. Tector ties a rope to a tree trunk, that crosses over a road to another tree trunk, and when a Mega-Mech comes close to the rope, Dingaan and Tector pull the rope tightly, but the plan failed as the Mech noticed he rope. When the Mech faces Dingaan and the group, Pope drives his pickup truck into the Mech, causing it to fall to the floor and getting the new power source. "Door Number Three" The night they arrive at Chinatown, John Pope leads the 2nd Mass fighters to kill Alexis Glass-Mason, as Maggie informs everyone that she is dangerous and meets with the Espheni, however is stopped by Lexi's followers creating a barricade. "Saturday Night Massacre" Once Alexis emerges from her cocoon, Alexis walks into the courtyard, and after Lourdes asks to go with her, she puts her hand on Lourdes’ cheek, and by telekinesis makes everyone freeze, causing Pope aim his gun at someone else. Alexis kills Lourdes and walks away, once she leaves, everyone is released from their paralysis. As they prepare for a battle with the Espheni, Pope and Sara help set up defenses. During the battle, Sara and Pope are shooting skitters when they discover a broken natural gas line and yell for everyone to get out. Many people are killed in the large gas main explosion, and after Pope is looking for Sara, he finds her crying because she didn’t think that fighting skitters was as fun as Pope promised her it was. As the survivors regroup, Tom says everyone needs to hide so that Overlord Scorch thinks that the gas main explosion killed everyone, and Pope suggests that they hide in the fallout shelter. "A Thing With Feathers" In the aftermath of the Espheni assault, the survivors are searching for anyone trapped under the rubble. Pope voices his opinion that Tom is dead, and Matt tackles him, also punching him, saying his father is alive. Later, Sara finds Pope as he is about to kill a skitter and asks if she can kill it instead. While Sara and Pope are out scouting for survivors, they find Bennett’s burned body, and soon they share their first kiss after burying him. "Til Death Do Us Part" Pope helps unearth the Beamer by removing rubble from the pile. While doing so with Sara, Maggie with her new strength from her spikes, rips out a piece of rubble and throws it at Sara, hitting her wrist. As she he scolds Hal and Maggie, telling Maggie to stay away from everyone. Soon after Sara bandages her wrist up and takes some pain medication; Pope and her argue about her narcotics addiction, Pope thinking that Sara is taking Vicodin, saying that you don't have to look inside a person to know them, however she reveals that she is only taking aspirin, as the labels were mixed up, saying to Pope that you really do have to look inside. She later leaves Chinatown without Pope knowing, and Anthony later asks why he didn't go with her, revealing to Pope that she left him. "Drawing Straws" After everyone puts their name in to fly the beamer to the moon, Weaver catches Pope trying to take names out of the draw, because he wants to be the one to go. After everything he has lost, after everyone who has died, he wants to make a difference. "Space Oddity" Pope gives us another peek into his shattered emotional state now that Sara has left him behind. His rash, but not out of character, attempt on Lexi’s life gave way to Pope near tears about remembering the faces of everyone he’s lost in his life. "Shoot the Moon" At Chinatown, another portable harness farm lands. John Pope goes to investigate and Dingaan Botha tries to pull him back. The fog starts to spread and Dingaan and Pope create a tower of pallets to keep them from getting stuck. On top, the two quickly loose their balance and fall onto the ground, now stuck. Dingaan quotes to Pope while on the ground stuck, "We wouldn't be stuck, if you hadn't run directly in the very thing I told you to run away from. Do you always go stampeding towards things when you have no idea what the risk is?" A harness plants himself ontop of Dingaan, and when it's about to plant himself, Pope bits the cord that connects the black fluid to the harness, killing it. Dingaan and Pope are later saved by Sara. The next morning, Pope and Sara walk into the open to regroup with the survivors, and Sara and Pope kiss, confirming their current relationship. Appearances Weapons In Season 1, he is seen carrying a Single Action Army as his sidearm in "The Armory" and a Springfield M1A Armory in "Sanctuary: Part 2", in both Seasons 2 and 3, he carries a Winchester Model 1300, and he carries a Colt Python in Season 2 and a Ruger Redhawk in Season 3, he also carries both a Ruger MP9 and a AKS-74U in Season 3, he later uses a Mossberg 500A Mariner "Cruiser" in Season 4. Trivia *John Pope was the name of a Union general in the American Civil War, best known for his defeat at the hands of Robert E. Lee at the Second Battle of Bull Run. *Pope has been punched by every living member of the Mason family at least once. *Pope favors the use of a 12 gauge pump action shotguns as his weapon of choice, and he uses a revolver as his sidearm. *In Strange Brew, during Tom's flashback/hallucination, Pope is a philosophy professor who is Tom's friend and who has an apparent relationship with Lourdes Delgado. Quotes *Life hands ya lemons, ya blow its friggin' head off - Season 2 Gallery Updated Pope.jpg fallingskies03.jpg falling-skies-1x04-john-pope-cap-07.png Falling-Skies-S2x06-Pope-is-back.jpg Falling-Skies-S2-X09-Popes-Berzerkers-plan-on-leaving.jpg Falling-Skies-S2x10-Pope-shares-words-with-Tector-400x221.jpg 1192.jpg Pope-BTS.JPG Pope 111.jpg Pope 555.jpg Pope 444.jpg Pope 333.jpg Pope 222.jpg Pope-S4.PNG s04e01_246.jpg Zack-4x07.PNG s04e07_549.jpg Pope 22.jpg s04e04_266.jpg Pope 11.jpg Pope and Sara 11.jpg Pope 3392.jpg Collin in Pope's cave.JPG Lyle and Pope S4 Ghost in The Machine.png s04e10_240.jpg Pope and Sara Shoot the Moon S4.png Falling-skies.jpg s04e12_528.jpg Pope_Sara_A_Thing_With_Feathers_2_S4.jpg Fallingskies s5e3-800x450 061920151250.jpg JohnPope-S5.PNG Pope-S5.PNG Category:Season 1 Category:Season 2 Category:Season 3 Category:Season 4 Category:Living Characters Category:2nd Mass Members Category:2nd Massachusetts Militia Regiment Category:Fighter Category:Characters Category:Militia Category:Season 5